We’re several months into the economic downturn, or whatever we’re calling it today, which means it’s the perfect time to consider tech investments you can actually count on. This gear can get you through the current crisis and beyond.
-By Paul Stone
The Luxia 7000 Series LED
A TV is a TV, right? Wrong. When you’re looking for a TV that’s in it for the long haul—and at this price, you’ll want it to last a while—you need more than the built-in digital tuner that gets your house ready for the digital TV switchover. This hot new entry from Samsung, the 1.2-inch-deep Luxia 7000 Series LED, costs an arm and half a leg, but you won’t need to replace it unless they invent TVs that cook you dinner … or you unleash your remote or Wii controller on the fancy Touch of Color screen.
Why you should buy it:
These TVs have state-of the-art networking, so you’ll actually have time to pay it off before you need to worry about planned obsolescence. And since they use 40 percent less energy than other widescreen TVs, they practically make you money. (46 inches: $2,500 to $3,000; 55 inches: $3,800; Samsung.com)
The Zeppelin iPod Speaker System
This instant design classic, with its giant-pill-meets airship appearance, may well be the most intriguing-looking thing in your home—but it’s got way more to offer than good looks. The huge speakers fire out audio that will have your neighbors’ walls shaking. Bowers & Wilkins has been making impressive speakers for decades, and the Zeppelin was specifically designed to bring out the maximum sound quality in digital tracks; it also works with lossless audio formats. There are even connections that allow you to stream music from other devices to the speakers, and images from your iPod to your TV.
Why you should buy it:
Audio is audio. This puppy isn’t going to get much better or be usurped anytime soon. ($600; Bowers-Wilkins.com; Amazon.com)
The Area-51 m17x
Laptops are tricky things to future proof because they evolve so quickly, but gamers can rest easy for a while with this powerhouse notebook from Alienware. The graphics capabilities will blow your mind; it’s powered by the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor and has one gigabyte of dedicated memory. Add in the HD video editing, 3-D model rendering, audio mixing, and expandable memory and storage, and you have as future proof a laptop as humanly possible.
Why you should buy it:
You’ll get amazing performance and looks (we especially love the cool illuminated keyboard, which is incredibly useful when you’ve got the lights out). This notebook is good for graphics-hungry computer junkies and workaholics alike. ($1,400; Alienware.com)
